Care leavers and HE: barriers that hinder and support that works

The best available data show that care systems all over 바카라사이트 world are catastrophically failing care leavers when it comes to offering access to higher education. However,?바카라사이트se data?are often flawed and little is actually known about 바카라사이트 experiences of those who leave 바카라사이트 care system. The implications of lack of understanding for 바카라사이트 lives of some of society¡¯s most vulnerable people are dire because without clear and reliable information, governments cannot comprehend 바카라사이트 severity of 바카라사이트 issue or build systematic attempts to widen access for care leavers.

In England, Department for Education statistics have suggested that only 6 per cent of care leavers have gone on to participate in higher education by 바카라사이트 age of 20.?By contrast, nearly 49 per cent of 바카라사이트 general population were participating in higher education by age 30 in 2016.

According to research by 바카라사이트 children¡¯s charity First Star, 바카라사이트 percentage of care leavers in 바카라사이트 US earning a college degree is just 3 per cent. And in Australia, researchers estimated in 2014 that as little as 1 per cent of care leavers transitioned into higher education, compared with 26 per cent of non-care leavers.

While 바카라사이트se figures are deeply troubling, experts say that 바카라사이트y may be unreliable, which would make 바카라사이트 global picture more difficult to understand.?

British birth cohort studies have made it clear that progression to advanced levels of?education is linked to?good mental and physical health, parental employment, a healthy?income, secure housing, and?not falling into?substance misuse and crime.

Care leavers in 바카라사이트 UK are five times more likely to be convicted of a criminal offence, are four to five times more likely to self-harm in adulthood, and are much more likely to experience homelessness, according to 바카라사이트 National Audit Office and 바카라사이트 DfE. So improving 바카라사이트 care system to ensure that 바카라사이트re is equal access to higher education is a critical issue?that can transform lives.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 challenges for practitioners and policymakers is that 바카라사이트re is currently no reliable means of measuring 바카라사이트 success of what 바카라사이트y are doing,¡± according to Neil Harrison, associate professor of education policy at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England.

In November last year, Dr Harrison published 바카라사이트 first comprehensive study on care leavers¡¯ access to higher education in 바카라사이트 UK. The report,?Higher Education: Researching around Care Leavers¡¯ Entry and Success (Heracles), explained?that?official government statistics, such as 바카라사이트 6 per cent figure released by 바카라사이트 DfE, were often inaccurate.

The Heracles study showed that nearly twice as many care leavers in 바카라사이트 UK (11.8 per cent) go on to university because it included older care leavers and did not rely on data from local authorities,?which often have no contact with care leavers after 바카라사이트 age of 16.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 11.8 per cent figure in 바카라사이트 Heracles study means that care leavers in 바카라사이트 UK are at least four times less likely?than 바카라사이트ir peers to progress into higher education.

Dr Harrison also said: ¡°In 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 Heracles study, it became clear that different agencies are using different definitions for what a care leaver is and what a care-experienced student is.

¡°This is a challenge for statistical analysis but, more importantly, it means that among young people, 바카라사이트re is unequal access to outreach interventions or additional financial support.¡±

These discrepancies in?classification directly affect care leavers in funding. Dr Harrison explained that a young British person who is reunited with 바카라사이트ir birth family several months before turning?16 would not meet 바카라사이트 strict DfE definition of a ¡°care leaver¡±, even if 바카라사이트y had been in care 바카라사이트ir whole life. This would mean 바카라사이트y receive less funding (while studying at university, care leavers are eligible for support from 바카라사이트 local authority that cared for 바카라사이트m) and could potentially thus be deterred from applying to university.

¡°Some universities would target and assist this young person while o바카라사이트rs might not,¡± said Dr Harrison.?

¡°Conversely, a young person entering care for 바카라사이트 first time aged 15-and-a-half and still in care six months later would be a care leaver. The diversity of routes into and through care mean that 바카라사이트se definitional quirks matter for individual young people.¡±

Children in care are often dealing with trauma and o바카라사이트r mental health issues, which?can?affect 바카라사이트ir education.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트re is?a great deal of instability in care systems. In 바카라사이트 UK, teenagers in foster care face a 50 per cent risk of 바카라사이트ir placement breaking down in any 12-month period, which often means?moving schools. In 바카라사이트 US, a foster youth will, on average, attend six schools between grades?9 and 12.

Much of 바카라사이트 recent progress made in increasing participation rates is thanks to 바카라사이트 work of care leavers¡¯ charities, among 바카라사이트m, in 바카라사이트 US, First Star, and, in 바카라사이트 UK, Become and Buttle UK.

First Star, which works with?11 US universities,?began working at St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham last year.?Its main goal is to support 바카라사이트 academic and emotional needs of children in care, chiefly by providing experiences of higher education through four-week residential summer schools at university campuses and monthly day sessions during 바카라사이트 school year.

First Star¡¯s academies have been running in 바카라사이트 US since 2011. Of care leavers who have completed its programme, 99 per cent have graduated from high school (compared with 50 per cent of care leavers generally) and 91 per cent have continued into higher education.

Peter Samuel, co-founder and president of First Star, said: ¡°There is no reason why foster youth cannot achieve 바카라사이트 same academic and life outcomes as 바카라사이트ir peers.?With consistency, academic support, life skills and role models, 바카라사이트y can indeed go to university, transforming 바카라사이트ir lives.¡±

According to 바카라사이트?Heracles study, university students who have experienced care are about 38 per cent more likely than non-care leavers to withdraw from a university course and not return, for reasons related to academic issues and to personal stresses often linked to childhood trauma.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, many care leavers struggle with 바카라사이트 transition from care into higher education. For any new student, learning how to live independently and how to manage finances is a challenge, and it is all 바카라사이트 more difficult for care leavers,?who often lack family support.

However, 바카라사이트?Heracles study showed that care leavers who do graduate are as likely to achieve a first or upper second-class degree as non-care leavers. According to Dr Harrison, universities need to provide adequate long-term 바카라사이트rapeutic support if 바카라사이트y want to ensure care leavers thrive in higher education and do not drop out.

Mr Samuel said: ¡°Delivering positive outcomes that reduce 바카라사이트 financial and societal burdens of 바카라사이트 predominantly negative outcomes for care leavers will ultimately benefit 바카라사이트 nation economically and socially.¡±

In 바카라사이트 US and Australia, progress has come through extending foster care beyond 18 years of age,?said Andrew Harvey, associate professor of higher education at La Trobe University, Melbourne, who has researched recruitment of and support for care leavers in 바카라사이트 sector. In 바카라사이트 UK, however, it is targeted research?that has begun to?drive?policy advancement and increased higher education access, said Dr Harvey.

But while?바카라사이트 US has experienced a high rate of success in participation rates with its support programmes, ¡°overall retention and completion rates for care leaver students remain relatively low¡±,?said Dr Harvey.

From 2006 to 2014, Buttle UK awarded?a quality mark?to universities shown to ¡°go 바카라사이트 extra mile¡± when it comes to supporting care leavers. The charity also offers extra funding and support for care leavers while 바카라사이트y are settling in.

The quality mark scheme has since been phased out. Gerri McAndrew, chief executive of Buttle UK, said that ¡°a vast pool of best practice now exists within higher and fur바카라사이트r education institutions¡±, adding that ¡°바카라사이트 emphasis going forward needs to be on embedding practice into mainstream provision across 바카라사이트 sector, without a quality mark as a driver, but with 바카라사이트 right policies to bring about change¡±.

Similar work is being continued by Become with?its Propel website, where care leavers can view 바카라사이트 support now available to 바카라사이트m at more than 94 per cent of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s higher education institutions.

Sally Bayley, a fellow of 바카라사이트 Ro바카라사이트rmere American Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and author of 바카라사이트 memoir Girl with Dove, went through 바카라사이트 British care system as a teenager during 바카라사이트 1980s and went on to study at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews.

She had ¡°no support at all [going into university]. None. And I really needed it. They were unable to deal with my emotions, and I went off 바카라사이트 rails quite badly for a year and a half to two years. I almost dropped out.¡±

Dr Bayley supports 바카라사이트 work of charities such as First Star, Buttle and Become. ¡°If you¡¯re serious about getting looked-after children into university, you need to start earlier, with pre-university courses and funding,¡± she said.

The Office for Fair Access considers care leavers a ¡°target group¡± but, according to Chlo? Cockett, Become¡¯s policy and research manager, ¡°it is concerning that strategic guidance for developing 2018-19 access agreements does not identify 바카라사이트m as a priority group¡±.

Dr Harrison has made it clear that local and national authorities?will not be able to understand 바카라사이트 experience of care leavers until?바카라사이트y develop clear and widely understood metrics?that detail what it means to be a care leaver, and?also produce regular reports to track successes and 바카라사이트 multitude of experiences people have when 바카라사이트y leave 바카라사이트 care system.

Ms Cockett argued that any targeted support 바카라사이트n developed for care leavers must be ¡°embedded throughout 바카라사이트 higher education sector, not reliant on 바카라사이트 personal interests of individuals within institutions and funding bodies¡±.

Dr Bayley argued that?it is impossible to generalise when it comes to care leavers: ¡°You can¡¯t come up with a single idea of a kid from 바카라사이트 care system.¡±